Perhaps I've read a few too many Poirot mysteries in the past couple of years, but I found this one rather lackluster. Our detective doesn't seem quite as sharp as usual and Hastings seems particularly dense. They pick at each other when you would expect them to be happy to be together again, now that Hastings has returned from the Argentine. There's much more running around, interviewing people, when Poirot usually stresses thinking through a crime and resists this much activity.
Really, the most engaging character was the terrier, Bob. His personality came through loud and clear, when everyone else was rather boring. In the matter of doggy details, Hastings finally has an advantage over Poirot, understanding dogs far better than he does humans. The dog is a playful detail, especially when Christie gives his “thoughts" in print, granting him intelligence as many dog lovers do.
As usual, Poirot gathered the suspects for a last lecture, but I hardly cared. Did Christie give me enough hints to see the solution? I'm not sure, but I find myself not worried about it. Not a book that I will read again, I think.
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